Biographical Sketch of Datus R. Gaige

Gaige, Datus R., Bristol, is probably the oldest living native of the town of Bristol, Vt. His grandfather, William Gage, was born in the vicinity of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He was a farmer by occupation, and came when quite young with his parents to Rutland county, Vt., settling in the town of Dorset, where he married a Miss Roberts, and after marriage removed to Ferrisburgh, Vt., there becoming one of the first settlers in that town. But owing to a prevalence of malaria, the family were compelled to remove to Bristol, Vt., where he resided until the time of his death. He spent his old age in the family of his daughter Hannah, who married Thomas Hill, both of whom are now deceased. They were the parents of Thomas Hill, now a resident of Bristol, Vt. The grandmother of Datus died in the town of Ferrisburgh, advanced in years. She had a family of eight children, of whom Abraham, the father of our sketch, was the oldest. He married Sally Higbee. They had a family of eleven children born to them, five of whom are now living. Datus R. Gaige was born on July 24, 1808, in the town of Bristol, Vt. He married Harriet C. Baldwin, a daughter of Noah Baldwin. She was born in Salisbury, Conn., on April 25, 1808, and died on February 16, 1884. Her parents settled in the town of Bristol, Vt., in 1812. Datus has been prominent in all the interests of his town, and has held many of the town and county offices. His father was a soldier in the War of 1812, and participated in the battle of Plattsburgh.